


Diakko Week Fantasy AU Extravaganza

by Zhana



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Battle, Dungeon Crawling, Established Relationship, F/F, Home Building, Morning Routines, Nursing, Pet Drake, Sick Character, dragon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-11 03:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15306687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhana/pseuds/Zhana
Summary: The trials and tribulations of two adventurers making their way in a world of monsters and magic.





	1. Day 1: Adventure: The Adventure Begins! (In the Morning)

Daylight streaming through parted curtains stirred her from slumber; a groan escaping her lips as she awoke. Raising a hand to cover her eyes, she tried to block out the light to preserve a few more moments of sleep. But it was too late; sleep had left her, and she must rise to meet the day. When she attempted to do just that however, she found herself met with a resistance tugging her back down into bed.

Glancing down, she noticed the arm lain across her chest, hand gripping her shoulder lightly, holding her in place. Bleary eyes followed the curve of the limb down to her side, blinking at the sight of mismatched blonde hair spread out over the pillow beside her. Blinking again, a tired smile slowly grew on her lips as consciousness returned to her.

"He~y, Dia~na~; c'mon, you don't get to sleep in when I'm already awake," she said, managing to move an arm to shake her bedmate's shoulder.

"Mmm," a cute little hum left the other woman as she stirred.

The hand gripping her shoulder relaxed as she retracted it to rub the sleep from her eyes, letting her sit up fully.

"Good morning sleepyhead," she said with a smile, leaning over to peck her lips.

"Good morning to you too, Akko," Diana replied, her hand shifting from her eyes to cover her mouth as she let out a yawn.

Giggling, Akko turned to climb out of bed, letting out a long, unrestrained yawn as she stretched her arms out above her head. She didn't notice Diana sitting up in bed, staring at her mostly-bare back as she stretched the kinks out of her muscles, making her way over to the chair her clothes were thrown over.

"So, what's the plan for today?" she asked, pulling a chainmail mesh over her head, soon covering it up with a heavy, sleeved blue tunic.

"Mmm, breakfast first and foremost," Diana replied, giving a little groan as she stretched her arms one by one over her head, "Afterwards we can visit the guild to see if any new requests have come in?"

"Sounds good!" Akko said, pulling on her slacks, "Oh! And didn't Sucy say she'd make something for us out of those supplies we brought her yesterday?"

"Yes she... yes she did," Diana confirmed hesitantly as she got out of bed, walking over to another chair where her own clothes lay neatly folded. Slipping on her own light, sleeveless, hooded blue tunic after briefly admiring the white unicorn design stitched into the back, she secured it in place with a dark magenta belt, a knife hanging off one loop at her left hip, "Though I don't know why you continue to trust that woman's concoctions."

"Oh quit worryin'; she's harmless!" Akko stated, looping a skirt-armored belt around her own waist.

"You turned purple the last time you tried one of her 'surprises'," Diana muttered, shaking her head as she pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves before sitting to slip on her shoes.

"Exactly! Just some temporary skin discolouration; nothing like what some of her stuff did to me when we first met!" Akko countered, throwing an extravagant red cape around her shoulders before leaning on a table to pull on her own shoes; a set of steel gauntlets and grieves lying unused on its surface.

"That is the opposite of reaffirming, you realize," Diana said with a sigh, pulling her long, two-tone blonde hair back into a ponytail, well out of the way.

"It's fine, it's fine," Akko assured her, tying a small ponytail into her own long brown hair; more of a decoration than her partner's functional style, most of it left loose down her back. "You ready?" she asked, picking her hefty, sheathed sword up off the table, slipping it through a loop on her belt to hang behind her left hip.

"I suppose so," Diana answered, slipping an ornate, golden, jewel-studded bracelet onto her left wrist, "Perhaps I'll feel better about your judgement of character with something in my stomach."

* * *

 

"I was wrong. In fact, I feel it would be best if we found a new apothecary to deal with from now on."

Akko rolled her eyes as they left the inn, bellies now filled with breakfast to start their day.

"What's up with you this morning? You've never had an issue with Sucy's potions before; they always work fine!"

"I suppose that's true... of her regular stock," Diana clarified, "But whenever she makes something with rare supplies we bring her, they always seem to have... side effects," she let out a sigh, "I swear she's just testing them on you."

"What?! No way! Sucy's a professional, I'm sure she wouldn't do something like that to a paying customer!"

"Perhaps you're right," Diana considered quietly as they came up to their destination.

The large, gothic building before them stood out against the plainer architecture of the other buildings that occupied the town square; intricately carved archways and pillars giving off a sense of almost foreboding elegance. A large, three-pronged circle hung above the main double-doors, beneath which was a sign reading "Luna Nova Adventurer's Guild" in cursive lettering.

"Remind me why we don't come here to eat again? Food's cheaper than at the inn," Akko asked, stepping up to the doors.

"Because I prefer to eat in relative quiet, and the guild hall is-" Diana winced as Akko pushed one of the doors open, a cacophony of noise immediately erupting out into the open air, "-not."

Akko giggled while Diana just let out a sigh, following her inside the guild. The main hall was, as Diana complained, "Not Quiet", to say the least. Some of its occupants sat quietly at tables off to the left; either eating their breakfast or waiting for it to be served. Others were far more animated by comparison, and the sound of voices loud and quiet filled the air. To the right of the entrance were two lines leading to one of two stalls at a sectioned-off desk against the back wall; the longer of which stretched along the far right wall, leading all the way back to the entrance, while the shorter was closer to the middle of the room.

Walking forward to join the smaller line, they stood in silence as they waited, Diana crossing her arms while Akko rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Akko! Hey, hey Akko!" a voice called out over the general noise of the hall, drawing both their attention over to the dining area.

They saw a woman with fiery red hair, dressed in a light, dark green tunic with matching arm-gloves, standing with one leg on her chair, the other up on her table, waving wildly at them with one arm while holding a tankard of ale in the other hand. Taking a chug, she dropped it to the table below her before leaping over to them; her long yellow scarf trailing behind her as people yelled at her as she jumped to and from tables, finally coming to land in front of Akko and Diana.

"Mornin' Akko!" she greeted, crossing her arms behind her head as she straightened up, seeming to only now take notice of Diana, "Oh hey, you too Cavendish."

One of Diana's eyebrows rose, her lips pulled down in a distinctly unamused frown, "Yes, good morning to you too O'Neill. Still a master of stealth as ever."

The rogue in green let out a scoff in return, rolling her eyes dismissively, "Please, I could rob you blind and you'd never know any better."

"Doubtful, if that performance just now was any indication."

"An' wha's'at s'posed ta mean?!" she demanded, lowering her arms, taking a more aggressive stance.

"Uhh, Amanda?" Akko tried to speak up.

"That I would have greater difficulty spotting a bright pink fairy in the dark than you."

"Hah, that's a laugh! If I were tryin', you'd never see me coming!"

"Amanda..."

"So you claim, yet I'm reasonably certain that Jasminka would have a fair deal of difficulty describing to me what contributions your so-called 'stealth' makes to your missions."

"Why you-! I'll have you know that I am an _amazing_ -"

"Amanda!"

"What?!" she snapped, turning her attention back to Akko, finding the caped girl looking rather nervous, pointing to behind the noisy rogue.

Looking at her in confusion for a moment, Amanda turned around; immediately wincing at the gathered crowd of angry-looking adventurers glaring at her.

"You spilled my booze all over me!"

"You stepped on my chicken!"

"You knocked over our whole table!"

Just a handful of the complaints now being lobbed at her.

"Hey, hey now... listen, I'm sorry, a'ight?" Amanda said, smiling nervously, raising her hands defensively, making a placating gesture, "I'm sure if we all just calm down then... Oh shit what's that?!" not a single person in the crowd turned when she pointed towards the back of the hall, her smile growing in both size and nervousness, "...bye!"

The mob of angry patrons stormed after Amanda as she turned and bolted for the door as fast as she could, quickly escaping outside. Diana let out a sigh as the quaking of the crowd's footsteps died down; thankful both for Amanda's departure, and the greater quiet brought on by the absence of those now chasing her.

"Think she'll be alright?" Akko wondered aloud.

"Who knows," Diana answered dismissively.

"O-Oh, Akko, Diana, good morning you two," another voice beckoned their attention. Turning around, they found that they'd reached the front of the line; a bespectacled, blue-haired woman dressed in the dark blue uniform of the guild sitting behind the desk, "Excitable morning we're having, isn't it?" she said, chuckling a bit wearily.

"Hi~ Miss Ursula!" Akko greeted happily.

"That's one word for it," Diana mused, managing a simple wave in greeting.

"Q-Quite... so, I imagine you're looking for some work for the day?"

"Yep! Or, y'know, week. Month. Year! Whatever you've got!" Akko declared.

"A year-long quest doesn't sound particularly savoury," Diana murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It could be fun!" Akko countered, looking back at her with a pout, "And just imagine what the pay would be like!"

"Well, I don't think I've anything currently outstanding that would take an entire _year_ , but perhaps this might be of interest to you?"

Opening her record book, Ursula flipped through the pages until she came to one only a couple days old. Leaning in, Akko and Diana read over the details even as Ursula explained it to them.

"A mountain village approximately two days ride from here has reported trouble with an invasive horde of fire drakes. This is a simple extermination job; lodgings and meals have been promised by the villagers for as long as it takes to either eliminate or drive off the problem."

"And the pay besides is..." Diana trailed a finger down to the bottom of the page.

"O~h, forty gold! Pretty good pay-day for routing some pesky lizards!" Akko commented giddily.

"'Pesky lizards' that breath fire, I'd remind you, Akko," Diana said as she righted herself, "Still, that is indeed quite the sum. We'll take the job," she told Ursula.

Nodding, Ursula handed them a feather pen, both of the adventurers signing their names at the bottom of the page. Taking the pen and book back, the administrator reached under her desk, handing Diana a tied scroll.

"Good luck, and safe travels girls!"

Smiling confidently, the two nodded back before turning to take their leave, exiting the guild.

"Alright!" Akko cheered, pumping her fist into the air, "So, where to first? Sucy or Lotte?"

"Sucy," Diana answered, smirking wryly, "That way if she does something to you, we don't have to make a second trip to have Lotte fix you up."

"She's not gonna do _anything_!" Akko reiterated, turning towards their next stop.

* * *

 

Quite a ways from the guild, tucked away in the dark, musky back alleys of the market district, sat a small, unassuming little shop. It was squished among the surrounding buildings, looking almost remarkably rundown; the roof sunken in, the tipping chimney spewing strange purple smoke, moss, vines and mushrooms growing all over the structure. _Especially_ mushrooms. Even the fungus-laden sign hanging over the door bore nothing but the image of a mushroom.

Entering through the surprisingly not-rotten door, the inside was about what one would expect from the exterior. Perhaps even worse. Plants and fungi grew on nearly every surface, the faint sound of insects and small animals scurrying about in hidden corners filling the air along with a noxious gas emanating from a bubbling cauldron located behind a countertop. A lone figure stood over the pot, tending to the strange, purple liquid it contained.

"He~y, Sucy!" Akko called as she and Diana stepped inside; Diana in-particular stepping carefully across the floor, looking rather unnerved as she looked around the shop.

Perking up, the shopkeeper looked away from her cauldron, stepping over to the counter. Frankly, she fit the image of a "Witch" better than "Shopkeeper"; dressed in a dark purple, shoulderless gown that showed a fair deal of her unnaturally pale skin. The matching wide-brimmed, limp hat resting atop her head certainly called to mind that image even more; a skull and yet more mushrooms decorating it.

"Oh, it's you two," she muttered, sounding disappointed, "What d'you want?"

"Is that any way to greet customers?" Diana scoffed at her manners.

The lone red eye not obscured by her long pink hair briefly flicked over to Diana, before quickly returning to Akko; Diana frowning deeper at being ignored.

"We're about to head out on a job! Gotta stock up on supplies before we head out," Akko explained.

"Wow, she's learning to think ahead," Sucy smirked faintly, again sparing Diana a brief glance, "someone's a good influence."

"Eh? What's that mean?"

"Nothing. So, what do you want?"

"Uh~ Let's see... um~" Akko hummed, glancing around at some of the materials Sucy kept out on the moss-ridden shelves as she thought.

"We'll take ten stamina tinctures, six healing vials, six of your best fire wards," Diana listed off a succession of desired potions quickly, trailing off as she cupped her chin in thought for a moment, "and... four stoneskin wards for good measure."

"Can't even let her handle the shopping herself, how sad," Sucy said with a small chuckle as she went about gathering the requested supplies.

"Hey!" Akko shouted indignantly.

Diana placed a comforting hand on her partner's shoulder, calming her as they waited on their potions. Calmed, though she still crossed her arms in a huff, pouting deeply as she fumed.

"That'll be forty-two silver," Sucy said, placing a box containing their gathered order on the counter.

"Forty-two?!" Akko exclaimed.

"That is more than I expected," Diana agreed, her voice quiet but her eyes just as wide, "why so much?"

"You said you wanted my best fire wards," the apothecary answered with a shrug, "My best costs more."

"I suppose that's fair," Diana conceded, reaching into a pouch hanging at her right hip, setting a small gold coin on the counter; pocketing the eight silver coins Sucy deposited in return.

"Oh! And didn't you say you'd be making something from that stuff we brought you?" Akko asked, seemingly just remembering; not noticing Diana's shoulders slumping as she let out a beleaguered groan.

Sucy blinked, returning her attention to Akko as Diana picked up their box, a shark-toothed smile slowly stretching across her face, "It's not ready just yet, next time for sure," she answered with a cackle. A definitively witch-like cackle.

"Oh. Alright!" Akko replied, turning to exit the shop with Diana.

"You're definitely not drinking whatever it is that she's brewing..."

* * *

 

Leaving the market district behind after purchasing food for their journey, the two adventurers made their way next to the lone chapel near the town's western edge. While it shared some similarities to the Luna Nova guild hall, it lacked much of the more intricate carvings, giving it a less imposing, more welcoming appearance. Parishioners tending to the surrounding gardens greeted them as they made their way inside, the scent of flowers giving way to a pleasant incense.

The interior of the church could best be described as "soothing"; the relaxing incense contributing to the atmosphere together with the rainbow-colours of the light filtering through the stained glass windows, the few seated in the pews praying quietly, listening to the soft, ethereal singing that echoed through the hall. Akko and Diana made their way down the central aisle to the altar at the end where a lone figure knelt, appearance obscured by the hood of the beige robe they wore.

"Morning Lotte!" Akko greeted, both her and Diana wincing at how loudly her voice echoed through the church, drawing a few annoyed glares.

The singing that filled the hall stopped, replaced briefly by a short shriek as the girl she'd greeted gave a start. Turning around, she pulled her hood down as she stood up, revealing her head of reddish-orange hair.

"Akko, you startled me," Lotte said, big blue eyes closing behind her large, obscuring glasses as she let out a sigh with her hand to her chest.

"Eheh, sorry about that," Akko apologized in a much quieter voice, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"Apologies for surprising you Lotte, how are you this morning?" Diana greeted her.

"Ah, don't worry about it Diana, it's no big deal," Lotte assured them, "And I'm fine. How about you two?"

"Good!" Akko again raised her voice unintentionally, and while Diana and Lotte were prepared (or at least used to it), Akko winced when someone loudly shushed her from behind, "We accepted a quest to slay some drakes by a village out in the mountains," she continued, quietly.

"Sounds exciting. I take it you're here for a Blessing then?"

"Please," Diana said, confirming her thoughts.

Nodding her head with a smile, Lotte clasped her hands together, closing her eyes before beginning to sing. As the soft notes again began to fill the air, Akko and Diana watched as small spirits took form around them; figures of light that seemed to dance around them. They felt the light coalesce around them, both seeming to glow briefly, feeling a pleasant warmth permeate their bodies. The song soon came to an end, the glow and warmth fading, the spirits disappearing from sight.

"Be careful out there you two, safe travels."

* * *

 

Returning to the inn, the two stopped off at their room to retrieve Akko's armor and pack their purchased supplies in travel bags, before making their way to the stables, ready to make their journey.

"You know, you really ought to learn how to ride yourself one of these days," Diana said, stroking the snout of her white mare.

"E~h, I'm good, thanks," Akko replied, finishing strapping their bags to the horse's back.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Diana questioned teasingly.

"What? Me?! Of course not!" Akko shot back harshly, huffing in mock-offense.

"Then why not?" Diana asked, leading her horse from the stable before climbing up onto her back.

"Well, cause then we'd have to buy another horse; seems a bit wasteful," Akko answered, taking Diana's offered hand, climbing up behind her.

"We're hardly desperate for money; we can budget enough for a second horse easily enough."

"Hmm, I guess that's true," Akko conceded, a wide smile growing on her lips as she wrapped her arms around Diana's waist, hugging herself to her back, resting her chin on her shoulder, "But maybe I just like riding like this?"

Diana flushed red with embarrassment, letting out a sigh as she directed her steed out of town, "Suit yourself..."

Akko just grinned, sitting back a bit more comfortably, raising an arm to point off to the distant mountains, "Onward, to adventure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I honestly, for the life of me, could not think of anything to write until like, two days ago. So basically scrambled this together and am going by the seat of my pants. But hey! At least other people are putting out more thought-out, well-composed content this week? But I wanted to put together something for my favorite couple too. Just wish I'd thought of doing the whole thing as a Fantasy AU a heck of a lot sooner...
> 
> Also to any curious, I based the looks of most characters off this amazing fanart: https://twitter.com/Werkbau01/status/896632793786077184  
> And some fanart of that by Ticcy because everyone needs more Ticcy: http://ticcytx.tumblr.com/post/164803255564/i-really-liked-the-fantasyau-illustration-made-by


	2. Day 2: Danger: Don't Chase Strange Drakes into Dark Caves!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Which is exactly what Akko does.

"I told you that this was a bad idea."

"Eh~, did you?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sorry, alright?! There, happy now?!"

Diana let out a sigh, ignoring the loose strands of blonde hair that obscured her vision as she looked out into the darkness. She would have attempted to fix the distraction, but both her hands were occupied; bow grasped firmly in her left hand, the right drawing an arrow back at the ready. She turned slowly in a circle, keeping her aim trained on the numerous silhouettes swarming around her in the shadows.

"I'll be happy once we've escaped this mess you've gotten us into," she argued with the voice at her back.

Akko rolled her eyes, "Oh c'mon, it's not _all_ my fault," she muttered; both hands gripping her sword a bit tighter as she circled in time with Diana.

"Who decided to chase after the suspiciously lone drake, at sunset?"

"Well, I did..."

"And who, against my warnings, followed it into an unknown cave?"

"I did..."

"And who fell down a crevice into the middle of a nest of drakes?"

"Alright, _fine_ , it is all my fault! Happy!?"

"Escape first, gloating later."

"You're doing a lot of it right now!"

"I believe it's warranted; I did join you down here of my own volition, after all."

"My hero," Akko grumbled, "No one asked you to y'know!"

Diana chuckled humorlessly, shooting off a glowing arrow when she saw a drake beginning to step towards them from out of the shadows. The beast, and the others near it, hissed violently, retreating from the incoming shot as it hit the ground in front of them. She immediately drew back on her bow again, a new shimmering magical arrow spawning to life in her fingertips as she did; the light it and her bow gave off discouraging another encroachment.

Behind her, Akko let out an aggressive roar, stepping forward while swinging her shining golden sword at the shadows. The blade glowed brightly, seven blue jewels arranged near the hilt shining brighter still. The light it gave off seemed to grow every time she swung, the horse-sized lizards hiding in the darkness growling and backing away from her swings. Once she had a bit more room, she stepped back, feeling herself lightly collide with Diana.

"Y'know, they're not gonna stay spooked like this forever..."

"I'm well aware," her partner groaned, gritting her teeth.

"Think we can take 'em? I still can't tell how many of 'em there are..."

"Nor I. We may have to risk it, or we'll simply tire ourselves out and be overwhelmed regardless."

"Got it. How much longer you think the stoneskin'll last?"

Diana gave a little hum, thinking the question over for a moment, "An hour? At best?"

"Better make the most of it then."

"On three?"

"One," Akko counted.

"Two," Diana followed.

"Three!" they both cried at once.

Diana immediately fired the arrow she had drawn, striking the ground just in front of some of the writhing shadows. The drakes reared back, briefly illuminated by the flash of the magic exploding against the ground. In that split second, she pulled her arm back again, a slight shift of her fingers causing not one, but three arrows to materialize against her bow; letting them loose with uncanny precision, her shots bore through the throats of three drakes. Seemingly surprised by the sudden death of their kin, it took a moment for the beasts to begin surging over the corpses towards the adventurer. Time she used to shoot two more down; never letting up her barrage as they advanced.

Behind her, Akko charged into the darkness with a cry; the drakes before her startled by the sudden advance of this little human. Surprise which she took advantage of, her sword coming down in a flash of gold right through the head of the nearest target. Pulling her blade back as it fell, she swung a wide arc in front of her, cleanly cutting through the necks of two more. Stepping back to dodge the claws of yet another, she brought her sword to bear again, thrusting through its belly.

Grunting in pain as razor-sharp claws struck her arm, sending her flying to the ground, Diana recovered into a roll, immediately firing back at the drake that had hit her. As she raised her arm, her eyes briefly checked her arm, confirming that her stoneskin yet held; the blow that might have normally shredded her flesh leaving only some nasty scrapes. Rolling away from the thrashing tail of yet another foe, she winced as another unleashed a torrent of fire-breath that washed over her. Bearing through the heat, she brought an arrow to bear at the center of the flames, shooting it directly through the mouth of the offending creature.

"Those fire wards?! Worth every copper!" she called out even as she leapt over the head of a charging drake, twisting in the air to loose an arrow at the back of its neck.

"I told you! Sucy's totally worth the occasional side-effect!" Akko called back over the screeching roars that echoed through the cave.

"That remains to be seen," Diana muttered to herself, turning as she landed, striking a nearby drake with her bow before firing an arrow into it, "How many have you slain?!"

"Twelve!" Akko called in response, grunting as she charged through a glut of flames to drive her blade through yet another drake, "Thirteen!"

Diana felt herself smirking as she kicked off the head of one drake, jumping between them deftly, loosing arrows as she went amidst the confused roars of the increasingly erratic beasts, "I'm at eighteen!"

Her smirk broadened as she heard Akko's loud, frustrated groan, "I'll catch up yet!"

It was subtle, but the chaotic rush of flailing lizard tails, razor claws and fiery breath gradually seemed to slow. Fewer drakes rushing in to continue the assault on those who had felled their kin. Akko and Diana found each other again amidst the calming battle, pressing their backs against one another for support, their bodies covered in large scrapes, small cuts, and light burns; both of them breathing heavily from their efforts.

"Think we've thinned 'em enough?" Akko asked with a grin.

"I believe so. Shall we finish this?"

Her grin broadening, Akko nodded firmly, "Yeah!"

Diana nodded in kind, both raising their golden armaments above their heads; any enemy looking to take advantage of the apparent lull stopping as the glow emanating from the magical weapons intensified, filling the cave with light.

"Shi~ny~!" Akko held her sword aloft, seven blue jewels glittering like stars within the radiant gold, "Sword!" in one smooth motion, she turned her blade, swinging it down.

"Arrow," the limbs of Diana's bow glittered and grew outwards as she brought it to bear; the short bow now an imposing long bow, "of," she drew her hand back from the grip, the arrow summoned forth fittingly larger for the changed bow, "Light!" she cried as she fired.

Light erupted from both weapons, consuming all in their wake, blazing paths away from the two adventurers; the death-cries of the drakes muted before the powerful roar of the two surging blasts. When the energy at last dispersed, the two were left panting even heavier from the effort exerted, hoping that it would be enough to win the day. By the dim light still offered by their weapons, they could see the scorched bodies of numerous drakes littering the ground around them; hearing more than seeing the faint sounds of those that remained fleeing into the darkness.

Heaving out a sigh, Diana let her bow collapse down to a simple bracelet around her left wrist, while Akko shifted to sheath her sword at her side.

"So," Akko started after a moment's silence, "how many'd you get before we blasted 'em?"

Diana frowned, turning to shoot a glare at her partner, who jumped back a bit, raising her hands defensively at the look, "...twenty-eight," she answered with another sigh.

"E~h? I only got twenty-one," Akko complained, crossing her arms in a huff, "But you know I always get more with my special than you do!" she declared, pointing at Diana with a stomp of her foot.

"Of course you do," Diana humored her, rolling her eyes as she turned back to look down the path of destruction her arrow had carved, "Come, we probably gave this cave a couple new entrances we can get out through."

"Why do we have to leave through _your_ blast-hole?" Akko asked, sounding a bit annoyed, though she fell into line after Diana regardless.

"Because you got us into this whole mess in the first place; only right I get us out."

"I guess that makes sense..."

"It's also the reason I should get bonus points for each kill."

"Yeah, I guess that's fair t-Hey!" Akko stopped herself from outright agreeing to the terms of Diana's certain victory; not being able to see the amused smirk on her lips. They walked in silence for a few moments before Akko spoke up again, "Alright, fine, you win!"

"Hmm? And what's my prize?"

"Oh, uh..." Akko trailed off, making to cup her chin before thinking better of it; letting out a gasp as she felt the heat yet radiating off her gauntlets, "Umm... my companionship for the night?"

"A prize I get every night doesn't seem terribly worthwhile for all that effort."

"Hey!"

Diana giggled softly, stopping to turn to Akko, reaching out to cup her chin, leaning in to peck her lips, "But I'll happily take it regardless."

Akko shrunk back a bit, blushing while Diana simply smiled, turning to resume her walk.

"I'll make it special for you!" Akko offered, quickly catching back up to her after a moment.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd just like to sleep tonight," Diana said with a tired sigh.

"Yeah, that's fair," Akko agreed, mimicking the weary sigh, "I'll owe you a special night then! Once we're back home!"

"I look forward to it."

Smiling at one another, they turned their attention back down the path of destruction they were following, at last spotting what seemed to be an exit; the faint light of night standing out against the cave walls.

"Hopefully the village isn't too far from this hole," Diana remarked, Akko nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, my legs are killing m-E!"

Diana stopped as she heard Akko's shriek, turning and wincing as she crashed to the floor heavily, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just tripped on something," Akko muttered in response, shifting to push herself up on all fours, "Didn't feel like a regular rock..."

Shuffling around, she brushed her hands along the floor, moving dirt and ash aside until she finally uncovered what had tripped her. The large white object stood out against the dark of the cave floor, Akko's armored hands finding their way around what appeared to be an abnormally smooth, oval-shaped rock, lifting it up off the ground to inspect it.

Diana watched as she stood up with her finding, examining it with her as she turned it in her hands, "Is that... an egg?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you envisioned "EX...CALIBUR!" when Akko did her special move, I managed something right.


	3. Day 3: Laughter: Raising a Scaley Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana signed up for adventuring and searching for legendary artifacts, not parenthood.

"You will apologize to our son this instant!"

"Would you please stop calling it that..."

"And stop calling him an 'it' too! He's a good boy!"

Diana had one arm wrapped around herself under her chest, the other bent up as she rubbed her brow tiredly. Akko was standing in front of her, arms outstretched, holding an oversized cat. A scaled, fire-breathing, reptilian cat.

It had been a couple weeks since they had returned from their extermination job in the mountains; Akko having kept the egg she'd found, ostensibly as a souvenir. After Lotte had confirmed that the egg was in fact still thriving though, she'd quickly switched gears to ensuring it hatched healthily. Diana had actually been rather impressed at the focus her partner showed in researching the rearing of drakes, becoming an amateur-expert on the subject practically overnight.

Then her prize had hatched. To say Akko had immediately grown attached was an understatement; she'd named the creature "RyRy", and had essentially refused to be separated from him since. At first, Diana had found it rather cute, the dedication she showed to her erstwhile bonus quite endearing. Then she'd started calling the drake _their_ "child", and insisting that Diana take a greater role in rearing _their_ "son". She wasn't quite certain how she felt about it, but her immediate reaction had been rejection.

"You do remember that i-" Diana stopped herself, letting out a small sigh when she looked up past the infantile monster to see Akko glaring and frowning at her, "...that _he_ set fire to our room's drapes just yesterday?"

"He needed to burp!"

"Akko he's a fire-breathing beast, not an infant still developing their lungs," Diana said, grumbled really.

"C'mon Dia~na~!" Akko whined her partner's name, pulling her beloved... pet? Pet, closer to her chest; her eyes going wide and watery as she appealed to Diana, "He's got your eyes!"

Shuddering at those wide, puppy-dog eyes, Diana bit her lip lightly, quickly averted her gaze lest she be rendered helpless by them. Looking down, she took a moment to confirm that the drake did, indeed, have blue eyes quite similar to her own. Decidedly large, multi-layered, reptilian eyes with a narrow vertical pupil in no way similar to hers beyond the colour, but blue all the same.

Crossing her arms, Diana heaved out a sigh, hesitantly looking back up at Akko's face, "What would you have me do, exactly?"

"Hmm... you could start by feeding him a snack?" Akko suggested.

"Feeding him what, exactly?"

"Charcoal!"

Diana blinked, raising an eyebrow curiously, "Is that what those little black chunks you've been feeding him are? Where have you been getting charcoal from?"

"Oh, here and there. Mostly I've been offering to clean out the fires in the kitchens and common room back at the inn."

"I see... and where do you propose I find charcoal now?"

Akko gazed skyward in thought, humming as she considered the question. Diana's own eyes flicked downwards again, distracted by the tiny screeches of the writhing lizard held in Akko's grasp. Loath though she was to admit it, the cat-sized lizard was kind of cute, in its own way; legs kicking out towards her as Akko held him up, tongue flicking out of its maw every so often as it let out little hisses and tiny roars.

"I've got it!" Diana raised her gaze to meet Akko's as her partner spoke up, "Let's have a campout!"

"A campout?" Diana repeated, looking a bit confused.

"Yeah! We can buy some meats from the marketplace, find a nice spot in a field somewhere, make a fire, and eat under the stars!" Akko explained, "It'll be fun!"

Diana pursed her lips, looking away as she cupped her chin, thinking over the suggestion. They had to camp frequently during the course of their travels to and from missions for the guild, so it's not as if the idea itself was anything special. But out on the road there was always a sort of urgency; cook, eat, turn in, sleeping in shifts with one of them keeping a wary eye out for bandits, beasts, monsters and the like. The idea of simply cooking and eating a meal outside under the night sky, safe within the borders of the town, no need to worry about the dangers of the wilds, did have a certain appeal to it.

"...alright," she finally agreed, breaking the silence that she herself hadn't noticed had fallen between them, "that does sound... nice."

"Yes!" Akko cheered, throwing RyRy up into the air; the scalekin twisting surprisingly deftly in mid-flight to land neatly across Akko's shoulders, tail curling around one of her forearms, "I'll find a spot and gather supplies while you go get the meat?"

"Very well, I'll find you shortly then," Diana said, leaning in to peck Akko's lips before they split up.

As she pulled away though, she noticed her partner gesturing to the small, scaled head beside hers, "One for him too?"

Diana groaned, rolling her eyes. But after a moment's hesitation (and being worn down by Akko's adorably expectant expression), she acquiesced, indulging the request with a quick peck to the "child's" forehead. Turning in a huff, she quickly strode off towards the markets; her quick departure mostly to disguise the warmth that flooded her cheeks at the happy giggle Akko gave at getting her way.

The last vestiges of sunset were fading on the horizon by the time that Diana left the markets, arms laden with plenty of supplies for dinner. A fine selection of meats of course, but also some fruits and vegetables, as well as some spices; she wasn't sure where Akko's aversion to potatoes came from exactly, but she could use some variety in her diet.

Venturing out into the fields she'd been wandering with Akko earlier, she soon spotted a column of smoke rising into the air, her gaze falling to the light of a campfire set a fair distance from any buildings. Nearing the impromptu campsite, she found that Akko had managed to assemble a quaint little setup; a log large enough to fit both of them rolled up next to a dugout housing a roaring fire, a spit already prepared over the flame. There was even a pot sitting off to the side, perhaps if either of them felt a desire for a stew.

"Diana!" Akko greeted with a wave, practically leaping over the log to meet her; her drake scuttling along the ground not far behind.

"Excellent job with the campsite," Diana complimented her, smiling a bit wider at the happy look Akko gave at the comment.

"Thanks! RyRy helped!" Akko told her, bending down to gently stroke his head with a finger, "Looks like you got plenty of goodies for dinner," she said as she stood back up, reaching out to take some of the packages from her arms; face contorting in displeasure when she caught sight of a few potatoes.

"Don't make that face; you know they go rather well with stew?"

"I know far too much about what they go with," Akko muttered cryptically; already conspiring to just toss the spuds into the flames directly. Maybe they'd make good charcoal for RyRy to snack on.

Rolling her eyes, oblivious to the plotting, Diana took the spit from over the fire, setting about spearing three cuts of meat through it.

"Heh."

Blinking, Diana looked over at where Akko had sat down on the log as she set the spit back over the fire to begin cooking, "Something funny?"

"Nope!" Akko stated with a shake of her head, "Just happy that I didn't have to remind you to prepare a cut for RyRy," she explained as the baby drake crawled up onto her lap.

Diana flushed slightly, looking away from them both, beginning to season the roasting meat, "He needs to eat too, obviously," she replied softly. Her eyes flicked back to the two, but she quickly looked away again, unable to bear the beaming, happy smile Akko wore, "...should I be careful of any spices on his?"

Akko giggled, delighted by the interest Diana was taking, "Nah, no need to worry," she told her, "just make sure his is really well-done."

"So, how did... RyRy, help with setting up camp?" Diana asked as she cooked their dinners.

"He started the fire," Akko answered cheerfully, looking down at the lizard with a big smile, "Who's a good lil' firestarter? You are! Yes you are!"

Diana laughed softly as Akko affectionately cooed at their new pet; the creature playfully snapping his maw up at her, making her giggle more as she flinched back to avoid being bitten.

"Careful Akko, you know that if he gets too excited then he'll-"

Just as Diana began to speak her warning, the exact thing she feared happened. As the small lizard shrieked and snapped up at Akko, a glut of flame suddenly erupted from its mouth. Akko let out her own startled cry as the sudden burst of fire washed over her face.

"Akko?!" Diana cried out worriedly. Her fears of the worst quickly disappeared though; she first tried to restrain herself, but soon erupted into loud, unrestrained laughter that filled the night air.

As the fire and smoke dispersed from around Akko's head, she was left apparently unharmed. Her eyes however were wide as saucers, and her face was coated in a layer of soot and ash. To top things off, some strands of her bangs had caught fire, slowly burning harmlessly. As her surprise died down, her blackened face morphed into a decidedly unamused frown. Reaching a hand up, she patted her hair until she was fairly certain her bangs were no longer burning, before swiping down to wipe the soot from her features.

"Oh yeah, real hilarious," she deadpanned, sticking her tongue out at Diana as she fought to quell her laughter. Turning her gaze down to her lap, she saw that even RyRy seemed to be snickering at her, "Bad. No spitting fire in mama's face," she scolded, lightly tapping his nose with her finger.

The lizard-y snickering seemed to quell, replaced by an apologetic little whimper; Diana also getting her laughter under control. Silence fell over them for a moment, broken only by the crackling of the fire. And then a spurt of stifled laughter. And then another. Akko threw back her head, unable to resist laughing any longer, Diana soon rejoining her as though infected anew by her mirth.

"I must have looked ridiculous!"

"You really did," Diana said, wiping at her eyes.

"Wish I could've seen it," Akko trailed off as her laughter calmed. Her head then snapped up as an idea occurred to her; picking RyRy up in her hands as she shot up off the log, "I've got it! Diana, let him blow fire in your face!"

"What?!" Diana gasped, quickly stepping around the fire, away from Akko and her weaponized-lizard.

"C'mon! It's only fair," Akko insisted, a decidedly evil grin on her dirty face.

"Oh no, I don't think that's fair at all," Diana told her, carefully strafing around the fire to keep the distance as Akko tried to get closer.

"I wanna see!" Akko leapt into action, giggling maniacally as she began to chase Diana around the fire.

"Akko no!" Diana cried out, fleeing from her partner and her fire-spitting pet.

Yet even as she feared getting a face full of immature fire and ash, she again found herself seemingly infected by her cackling; their happy laughter filling the night air as they ran around the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someday, that drake will become a mighty steed that Akko can ride into battle.  
> For now, basically an oversized kitten that's even worse for the furniture than normal.


	4. Day 4: Spoiling Akko: Nurse Cavendish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko learns that she really shouldn't swallow strange potions given to her by creepy back-alley apothecaries.

Akko's loud groaning filled the room as she laid in bed, curled up on her side, clutching her stomach. RyRy was perched up by the footboard, horned head tipped to the side as he regarded her with curious worry. Diana entered their room carrying a large dish of water just as yet another pained groan echoed out from her bed-ridden partner.

"What have we learned?" she asked, setting the dish down on the table beneath the window.

"That Sucy's the devil and to never trust her random, experimental 'rewards'," Akko muttered, the response sounding rehearsed by this point; Diana had reiterated the point to her many times since they'd returned from the apothecary.

"And hopefully you'll remember that going forward," she remarked, wetting a towel in the dish.

Akko tensed up, groaning in pain again, squeezing her legs closer as her arms clutched her middle tightly, "They've never done anything this awful to me before," she whimpered out.

"All the same, even if this is a rare, worse-case-scenario," Diana walked over to the bed, Akko relaxing slightly and letting out a relieved sigh as the cool, wet towel was draped over her burning forehead, "hopefully you'll remember and not take the risk in the future."

"Yeah, yeah, guess so," Akko murmured her agreement, raising a hand to keep the towel in place as she rolled onto her back, "At least I've got you to take care of me," she said, managing a smile.

Diana flushed, eyes blinking wide at the girl on the bed beaming up at her. She soon turned away, hurrying back to the table where a mortar and pestle lay waiting, "Someone has to," she replied, beginning to prepare a mixture with the tools and water.

"Well, I'm glad it's you," Akko said with a weak laugh, "Still can't believe you're actually listening to her instructions after she poisoned me though."

"For better or for worse, she _does_ know what she's talking about," Diana said with a sigh, reading from a scrap of parchment beside the mortar as she prepared the remedy it described, "when she isn't... experimenting, at least..."

Akko let out another weak laugh, which quickly degenerated into yet another bout of pained groaning. As she relaxed enough to stretch her tense legs out, she giggled at the sensation of RyRy nipping at her toes, coiling her legs back in out of his reach when another wave of pain surged through her belly.

"Alright, I think it should be ready," Diana said, returning to Akko's side with the mortar in-hand. Reaching one hand down to support the back of her head, she tipped the vessel to her lips, making her drink the medicine.

"Bleh, that tastes awful," Akko muttered, sticking her tongue out after managing to swallow the mixture, disgust evident on her face.

"You'd best get used to it; she recommended six doses spaced at least four hours apart," Diana told her, unable to resist a smile at the decidedly painless-sounding, but entirely annoyed moan Akko let out as she slumped further down on the bed, "You want to get better, don't you?"

"Bleh," she repeated, sticking out her tongue again, "I'm gonna get Sucy back for this somehow..."

"I did try to warn you that she was using you as a test subject..."

"I still can't believe she'd actually do that! I'm a frequent customer! I thought she was my friend!" Akko's voice grew increasingly loud and heated as her rant built, until she was cut off by her miserable stomach making itself known again.

Diana sighed, smiling softly as she reached a hand out, running her fingers through Akko's hair, stroking her head gently until she felt her relax, "Did any of her previous 'rewards' actually do anything of benefit to make you continue taking them for so long?"

Akko blinked, turning her head away from her partner-turned-caretaker, "Uh... I think one gave me super strength, once?"

"And?"

"And..." Akko pouted, defeated, "it wore off after five minutes and I couldn't move a muscle for two hours afterwards..."

Diana sighed, smiling wryly at the mental image as she shook her head. Yet she still looked down at the bed worriedly as Akko's body clenched up again and she let out a brief hiss of pain.

"Do you think you'll be able to keep any dinner down?" Diana asked, recalling that one of the first symptoms Akko had manifested was emptying the contents of her stomach all over the ground outside Sucy's shop.

Akko raised her eyes to the ceiling, humming as she considered the question before answering, "Dunno."

"Want me to see if the kitchen can set some broth aside for you? Might be easier to keep down; easier to clean up if you can't, at least."

"Sure, that sounds alright."

Nodding, Diana set the mortar back on the table before leaving the room to inquire about dinner, Akko left alone but for RyRy maintaining his vigil at the foot of the bed. Gradually, she thought she could feel the medicine she'd gotten down begin to take effect, relaxing her limbs as the pangs originating from her stomach seemed to subside. When Diana returned to the room with a couple bowls of soup, she found Akko's head tipped to the side, the damp towel fallen from her forehead onto her pillow, looking rather peaceful as she slept.

Smiling at the sight, she pulled a chair up to sit by the bed, setting their dinner off on the table so she could reach out to gently shake her shoulder, "Akko," she called softly, "I've got some dinner for us."

Letting out a quiet moan, thankfully lacking in the distinct tone of pain, Akko stirred from her brief slumber, reaching a hand up to rub at her eyes, "Mmm, Diana?"

Smiling warmly still, Diana gently coaxed Akko to sit up slightly before retrieving one of the bowls from the table. Inhaling the delicious, meaty scent wafting off the steaming broth, Akko extended her hands to take the bowl. However, Diana maintained her hold on it, instead gathering a spoonful and extending that out towards Akko.

"D-Diana?! What... what are you doing?" she asked, flushing a dark red that was clearly not from her fever.

"Feeding you," Diana answered quite calmly.

"Tha-that's not... I can feed myself!" Akko insisted.

Diana simply shook her head, still holding the spoonful of broth out towards her, "Perhaps, but I am supposed to be taking care of you..."

"That doesn't mean I can't-"

"So you don't want me to... spoil you, a little?" Diana asked, her cheeks now tinged a light pink.

Akko clamed up, blushing harder still somehow; Diana was actually a bit worried that she might combust or otherwise aggravate her condition with how flustered she appeared. Despite her apparent reluctance, she dropped her hands to her lap, averting her eyes as she opened her mouth.

"Temperature alright?" Diana asked, giggling a bit as she fed her the first spoonful.

"'s fine..." Akko mumbled after swallowing, still blushing fiercely.

"Think you're going to throw up?"

"No..."

"Want me to keep feeding you?"

Akko was silent for a long moment, still refusing to so much as look at Diana, "...yes."

Eventually she did manage to turn her eyes to actually look at Diana as she fed her the rest of the broth; becoming less reticent with each mouthful. Once the bowl was done, Diana set it off to the side, taking the other to feed herself as Akko settled back down in the bed comfortably.

"Thank you, Diana."

"I'd say 'any time', but as much as I don't mind caring for you like this, I would rather you didn't make a habit of suffering such an ailment."

"Eheh, yeah," Akko pulled her blanket up to her face in an attempt to disguise her embarrassment, or perhaps just look cute, "I promise, lesson learned. No more accepting 'rewards' from Sucy."

"I'm glad to hear it," Diana said, taking a bite of her chunkier soup, "But... if it does happen again, I assure you, I will still care for you all the same."

Akko let out a little 'eep', ducking her head under the blanket entirely to hide her red face as Diana smiled down at her lovingly, "Thanks," again coming from under the cover.

Diana chuckled to herself as she resumed eating her meal, occasionally offering a spoonful to RyRy when he scuttled over to prop himself up against her legs. By the time she'd finished her own bowl, Akko had emerged from "hiding"; staring up at her as she set the emptied bowls inside one another on the table.

"Hey, Diana?" she called her attention back to her.

"Yes, Akko?" Diana stepped back by the bed, kneeling down at its edge when Akko motioned for her to come closer.

Akko suddenly surged forward, capturing Diana's lips with her own, kissing her tenderly, "Thanks again; you're the best!" she told her, smiling brightly.

Diana recoiled away, raising an arm defensively, blushing fiercely now as Akko regarded her with some confusion, "A-Akko! That's- You- I-I could catch your sickness!"

Akko blinked, silent for a moment, before rolling onto her back, breaking out into laughter, "What?! Diana I was poisoned; I don't think that's contagious!"

"But-! Some of your symptoms are similar to common airborne illnesses... and honestly, I wouldn't put anything past Sucy's capabilities."

"I mean, yeah, she's good, but I don't think she's _that_ good," Akko insisted, shifting to sit up slightly, reaching her arms out around Diana's shoulders, using her to support herself as she leaned in close to her, "Besides, I'm feeling much... _much_ better," she cooed, a certain glint in her eye sending a shiver down Diana's spine combined with her tone.

"Akko, no, you- you're sick and _that_ would definitely exacer-" Diana was cut off, eyes widening as Akko pressed their lips together again.

Retreating back to the bed, Diana didn't resist as Akko pulled her with her, right on top of her, "I'll be fine, trust me," Akko told her, smiling up at her sweetly, "Didn't you say you were going to spoil me?"

Diana's face burned as she stared down at the -supposedly- sick girl she'd spent the day caring for. There was an almost obnoxiously loud voice in the back of her head screaming how this was a terrible idea, "I suppose I did," not that she could hear it over that look Akko was giving her as she stared down into her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda shorter than usual, sorry about that. Started rather late on this one... hopefully tomorrow's "Diana Spoiling" will have a bit more to it (Even though I have even less idea of what to put in that one >.>;;)


	5. Day 5: Spoiling Diana: Nurse Kagari

"What-" Diana began before abruptly lurching forward, letting out a hacking cough before slumping back into the bed with a weary moan, "h-have we learned?"

"That Sucy's the devil and she can, in fact, create a poison with contagious effects," Akko answered, setting a cool, wet cloth over her ill partner's forehead, "At least I get to repay you for taking care of me?"

Akko flinched back when Diana's eyes focused a piercing glare on her, "I wouldn't be sick _at all_ if it weren't for you."

"R-Right, yeah, uh... sorry about that?" Akko chuckled weakly, poking her fingers together as she withered under Diana's glare, "And also no getting frisky when sick..."

Diana stared her down a few moments longer, before her gaze finally relaxed; turning away and closing her eyes as she lay her head back into her pillow.

Slowly standing up straighter now that she wasn't being dominated by Diana's angered expression, Akko wandered over to their table, mixing together the same medicine that Diana had made for her the day before, "If it makes you feel any better, Sucy was practically jumping off the walls when I told her that her poison was contagious?"

"No, her joy at my contracted misery does not make me feel better, Akko," Diana growled her reply.

"We~ll... bright side, Lotte got her to agree to give us our next order for free?"

"We should demand her entire available stock then," Diana muttered, venom on her tongue.

"Wouldn't that kinda be abusing the good will?"

Diana cracked one eye open, Akko again flinching warily as her gaze fell on her, "I have absolutely none to spare for that witch."

"Kay..." Akko trailed off, resuming her task, mumbling to herself, "Guess she wouldn't argue much... with us, much less Lotte."

Diana gave a little hum, closing her eye again; she raised a hand to cover her mouth as she let out a couple dry coughs, "Why does she seem to listen to Lotte so?" she asked when the fit subsided.

"Dunno," Akko answered with a shrug as she blended the medicine, "I just remember that the first time I mentioned an issue with one of Sucy's potions to her, the next time I visited the shop Sucy seemed grouchier than usual, but gave me a free potion anyway."

"Curious..."

"Here, medicine's ready," Akko said, bringing the mortar over to the bed, supporting Diana's head while she drank the remedy.

"Ugh, that is quite unpleasant," she commented once she'd swallowed; her face not quite as obvious in its show of disgust as Akko's had been, but her displeasure was apparent all the same.

"Told ya," Akko teased, laughing softly as she set the mortar back down on the table, "But you want to get better, don't you?" she asked, smirking playfully.

"Don't throw my own words back at me like that," Diana grumbled, shaking her head faintly as she gave a little sigh.

"Want me to get you anything to eat?"

"No, thank you, I don't have much of an appetite just yet."

"Alright..." trailing off, Akko glanced around the room at nothing in particular before her worried gaze returned to her bedridden partner, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Mmm, it's fine Akko," Diana spoke quietly, cracking her eyes open, managing a small smile up at her, "I think I'd just like to get some rest."

"Ah! Of course, yeah, definitely," Akko nodded her head rapidly, wandering over to the door, "I'll let you get some sleep then! Just uh... just tell RyRy to find me if you need anything?" she gestured down to where the drake was curled up on a cushion by the door as she stepped out it.

Diana answered her with a weak little wave from the bed, drifting off as Akko departed.

When next she stirred, the first thing Diana saw when she cracked her eyes open was Akko's loving smile, her hand on her shoulder having gentle awoken her. Smiling back in kind, she shifted to sit up slightly, finding that she was feeling a good deal better; her breathing felt easier compared to earlier, her stomach was more settled, and she didn't feel quite as over-warm.

"Sleep well?" Akko asked her, watching her close as she sat up.

"As well as can be expected, I suppose; I do feel somewhat better," she answered, "How long have I been asleep?"

"About four hours; figured I should wake you for another dose of medicine."

"Ah, I... th-thank you, Akko," Diana said, Akko unable to resist a little giggle at the sheer lack of enthusiasm in her voice.

"Yeah, this gunk really is awful, isn't it? But hey! I took all mine and I'm totally better already! Just be glad it's only for one day?" Diana answered with just a tired little hum in agreement, "Think you're up for eating anything now?"

Diana nodded, swallowing another dose of the remedy Akko had prepared with a grimace, "Ugh... yes, yes I think I'd be up for something."

"Great!" Akko cheered, setting the mortar aside, grabbing another plate off the table, "They let me use the kitchen to whip these up for us!"

Diana blinked, looking at the stack of fluffy pancakes piled high on the plate. Her eyes flicked up to the wide, expectant smile on Akko's face, then back down to the piled-up confections.

"Umm... Akko?"

"Mmm?"

"I... appreciate the thought, but..."

"But?"

"I think that might be just a bit... much, for my stomach still."

"Oh," Akko deflated, and Diana with her, hating to see her look so disappointed that her effort was for naught. She quickly perked back up though, setting the pancakes aside, grabbing another bowl off the table, "No worries! I also went down to the market and got a bunch of fruit for you!"

Diana brightened as Akko did, smiling at the colourful bowl she now held out, "That does sound better."

Nodding energetically, Akko took a seat beside the bed, spearing a strawberry on a fork before offering it out to Diana.

"A-Akko?"

"C'mon, you fed me yesterday, right?" she explained, smiling brilliantly as she waved the strawberry in front of her, "Lemme spoil you a little too!"

"...fine," Diana conceded, opening her mouth to let Akko feed her the fruit, giggling as she did so.

Akko had apparently bought a wide variety of fruits which she'd then prepared and filled the bowl with. Berries, citruses, melons and prunes, the variety was quite refreshing; the sweet juices going down easily, leaving Diana feeling relaxed as Akko fed her, taking a bite of the pancakes for herself between chunks of fruit.

"I think I'm full now, thank you Akko," Diana said, waving away the slice of peach Akko was holding out to her; the bowl mostly empty by this point.

"Oh, alright! Feeling okay still?" Akko asked, depositing the last of the fruit on what remained of the pancakes, quickly devouring it all.

"Y-Yes, it was delicious," Diana answered, looking away as Akko finished their meal off; she didn't trust herself to _remain_ okay if she had to watch her partner scarf down all that food so quickly.

"Glad to hear it!" Akko grinned, setting the dishes aside, either not noticing or not caring about Diana's aversion to her (lack of) manners, "Anything else I can get for you?" she asked eagerly.

"No, I think I'll just lie down and get some more rest," Diana said with a slight shake of her head.

"E~h? But that's so boring!"

"Well, I certainly cannot condone passing the time the same way _you_ decided to," Akko flinched back at the frown Diana wore as she glared at her again, "else we would simply wind up in some absurd loop."

"H-Heh, yeah, guess that's true," Akko agreed, bashfully rubbing at the back of her head, "I guess I'll uh... just let you get some more rest then," she said, moving to stand up.

Diana stopped her, reaching out to grasp her wrist; her own grip rather weak, but it was enough, "Stay."

"Huh?"

"Stay with me," Diana repeated, blushing as she found herself unable to meet Akko's eyes, "It might be ill-advised for us to do... _that_ , but I'd still prefer to have you here with me."

"O-Okay," Akko nodded, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Just no kissing. Or touching overly-intimate areas," Diana stated firmly.

"So, cuddling?" Akko suggested with a grin.

"...please," Diana said, shifting to lay down, lifting the blanket up.

Giggling, Akko moved to lay beside her, wrapping her arms around her partner as she turned to lay on her side, facing away from her.

"Diana?"

"I wouldn't want to wind up coughing in your face," she explained.

Nodding in understanding, Akko snuggled up to her back, embracing her from behind, spooning her comfortably. Diana smiled as she closed her eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep again, safe and warm in her beloved's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH so sorry I'm late with this one. And that it's shorter than all the others. And that I haven't even properly proof-read it. Teach me to make my computer unusable trying to sync music to my phone when I should be writing. I need to learn to prioritize better... I hope people enjoy a bit of Diana getting the same treatment Akko did all the same!


	6. Day 6: Anniversary: First Meeting - Trial by Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the ruined halls of a noble temple, two shall meet not to part...

The Temple of Arcturus had lain abandoned for centuries; yet even worn and ravaged by time, half-consumed by the forest in which it resided, it was an imposing sight to behold. Though faded, the stark white of the stonework could be clearly seen through the vines and moss that coated the exterior facade; the stairway leading to the main entrance so covered with dirt and overgrowth it was more of a small hill leading inside now.

Three women trudged their way up that hill to enter the temple; the once grand doors long since rotted away, leaving only a gaping opening leading inside. One with auburn hair pulled back into an elegant ponytail looked like she would be more at home in a noble's court than delving into a temple deep in an untamed forest. Not only was her hair impeccably done, but the pink petticoat and skirt she wore -complete with a cravat and bright yellow bows around her waist- did not seem suited to the environment at all.

The second, her long, well-maintained raven hair kept simple and loose, was at least slightly better prepared. The faint noise of chainmail links shuffling against each other could be heard from beneath her heavy blue shirt; armor plating on her arms and waist providing further protection. Both women were armed with a sword and shield combination; the woman in pink holding a kite shield while her armored companion preferred a round buckler.

Only the third of the group looked truly in her element as they advanced through the threshold into the temple grounds. Mismatched blonde hair pulled back into an easy ponytail, and dressed in little beyond a short, sleeveless blue tunic. A white unicorn pattern stitched into the back was largely obscured by a quiver of arrows for the bow she gripped in her hand; her only other weapon appearing to be a small knife tied to her magenta belt.

While her two companions hesitated slightly before the intimidating entrance to the temple ruins, the blonde archer strode forward purposefully; keen eyes examining the interior of the once-grand temple. Ruin though it was, the chamber immediately beyond the entrance was still a spectacular sight to behold. The remains of a chapel of sorts, the high ceiling had caved in at various points; sunlight filtering in through the holes in the roof as well as the shattered remains of the stain-glass windows. The remains of what may have been pews littered the floor; wood covered in overgrowth only barely distinguishable from the trees growing in through the walls and windows.

"Beautiful," Diana breathed as she followed the faintly recognizable path of what was presumably the central aisle.

 At the end of the trail lay the main altar of worship, flanked by mirrored statues of grand sorcerers dressed in heavy robes, each gripping a thick staff in opposing hands. Beyond them lay the entrance into the temple proper; once upon a time sealed by a stone doorway which required tribute to show the worth of those who would enter its halls. That doorway had long since been shattered, rubble laying about the entrance now mostly covered by hanging vines. Except...

"That's unusual," Diana muttered, stalking up to the open passageway; her companions watching curiously as she inspected the vines.

"Is something the matter, Miss Diana?" Hannah asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"Yes, look at this," Diana gestured to a grouping of the vines.

"They appear to have been cut," Barbara stated, raising her sword, brushing the blade against a grouping of vines shorter than the others, which created an opening in what should have been a complete veil over the opening.

"What does that matter?" Hannah asked, crossing her arms as she shifted from one foot to the other, "Weren't you saying it was really likely that this place had been looted before? But that regardless, what you're seeking should still be here?"

"Yes, I did," Diana affirmed, "but..." she reached up, grabbing one of the shorter vines in her hand, her thumb brushing the end, "there's no sign of regrowth; these were cut recently."

Hannah and Barbara immediately tensed at the statement, holding their swords up at the ready.

"Be on-guard," Diana told them simply, drawing several arrows from her quiver, slipping one onto the bow while holding the rest at the ready as she carefully stepped forward into the temple.

The narrow hallway beyond the chapel was dark, putting all three of them on edge now that they were expecting someone else within the temple walls. Thankfully, it wasn't tremendously long, and they could see light at the end almost immediately. The narrow, enclosed hall opened into a large, brightly lit, circular atrium. Like the entrance chapel, the roof was partially caved in, allowing in even more light than the mostly-empty arched window frames would have normally. Ahead, they could see several staircases leading further inside; the one to their left curved downward, the one to the right curved upward, while between them was a more gradual upward slope which continued straight ahead.

"Which way should we go?" Hannah asked aloud what they all were thinking.

"Would they have kept it in a basement vault, perhaps?" Barbara suggested, using her sword to point to the staircase on the left.

"It was supposed to be some super-important relic of their faith, right? Wouldn't you keep something like above everything else?" Hannah similarly gestured to the right-side staircase.

"Both valid points," Diana spoke up, "I believe it may be most prudent to split up then. You both investigate your theories; I will take the middle path."

"But Diana-!" Barbara started.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?!" Hannah finished for her, "Weren't you just saying how there's probably someone else here?"

"Yes, but I didn't see any signs of any sort of large group. I have faith that any one of us should be able to handle themselves should the need arise."

"Well, yes, obviously," Hannah scoffed confidently, "but still, wouldn't it be safer to stick together?"

"We are raiding an ancient, abandoned temple deep in one of the most dangerous forests in the realm; I think we're well passed concerns of safety."

"All the more reason to stick together!" Barbara shot back.

"Or, all the more reason to cover as much ground as quickly as possible, regroup, and take our leave," Diana reasoned, stepping towards the central staircase, "If that is all, let us be about it."

Sensing that she was in no mood for further argument, Hannah and Barbara nodded in acquiescence, splitting to take the staircases they had both earlier indicated.

Diana felt at least a little bad as she proceeded down the straight path deeper into the temple. In truth, her companions were entirely correct; splitting up was a terrible idea, and she knew it. What's more, she was almost certain that her chosen path was the correct one; her research had indicated that the prize she sought was hidden away in a sanctum which the entire temple had been built around to protect. In truth, she harboured a simple, selfish wish to have the moment where she retrieved it to herself.

And if someone else was already there, she'd deal with it first.

Looking around as she walked, she took in the details of the temple walls. Masterfully assembled stonework cracked covered by nature's reclamation; beautiful mosaics and reliefs now faded into near-nonexistence, ravaged by time. Sentries of stone and steel which she was certain were once animated by powerful magics now lay dead, slumped against the walls, covered in ages of plant-life, leaving the paths they once guarded clear of any obstacle.

Coming to the end of her route, Diana entered into another, smaller atrium, eyes widening at the doorway standing opposite the stairway. Unlike everything else in the temple, the towering, wooden double doors still appeared to be in immaculate condition; golden patterns surrounding seven star-like jewels unmarred by so much as a scratch, much less the overgrowth affecting the rest of the complex. The more pressing matter, however, was that one of the doors was slightly ajar, creating a large enough gap for someone to slip through.

Drawing her arrow back, Diana slowly stepped through the gap herself, carefully taking in the chamber that lay beyond, looking for any sign of an ambush. She found herself forgetting her caution though when she actually laid eyes on the sanctum she'd read about. It was a large, open-air garden, surrounded by the walls of the temple. The air felt somehow different as she stepped through the doorway, letting her bow go slack as she descended a small staircase to the forest floor. Still. Quiet. It should have been eerie, discomforting, but somehow it felt _right._

Her attention was held almost entirely by a raised stone platform in the center of the garden; the light somehow shining down _perfectly_ upon what she had come for. In the middle of the stone encirclement was a small pedestal, and embedded there-in was a golden sword that shone brilliantly in the rays of the sun. It was an exceptionally broad blade, the edge sweeping outwards as it got closer to the hilt, rendering the darker-gold guard nigh-useless as it didn't surpass the blade's width. Seven jewels glittered in the light, embedded in the sword near its base, arranged in the same pattern that the larger jewels on the sanctum door were made to mimic.

Engrossed by the brilliant weapon, Diana walked closer to its radiance, as if transfixed. Just as she was about to let go of her strung arrow to reach out and touch it, however, something flickered in the periphery of her vision. She almost hadn't noticed in the brightness of the mystical sunlight, but a shadow had passed over her, now barely visible against the sword before her, looking like something narrow raised over her.

Her eyes widened as she snapped out of her trance, immediately rolling to the side just in time as a sword came crashing down, smashing into the stone where she'd been standing. Landing in a crouch, she immediately drew back on her arrow, firing it off at her attacker. They, in turn, quickly drew their sword back up, deflecting the shot. Diana's fingers propped her next arrow into place, drawing it back at the ready, while her assailant held their sword up defensively; neither making a move for the moment as they took the measure of the other.

Diana tried not to show her surprise that the one who had ambushed her appeared to be a woman of roughly her own age; slightly shorter, her long brown hair cut with odd, asymmetrical bangs and tied with a pointless little decorative ponytail. Her clothing however was far more practical; chainmail visible underneath a heavy blue tunic, and steel gauntlets and grieves protecting her arms and legs. Her sword was grasped tightly in both her hands; a much heavier weapon than the blades her companions favoured.

"Who are you?" Diana finally asked, breaking the silence as the two stared one another down.

"Atsuko Kagari," the swordswoman introduced herself, breaking out into a broad grin that reached her eyes, "Everyone calls me Akko though!"

"...charmed," Diana said dryly, drawing her arrow back that tiny bit more that her bowstring could be heard straining.

"Isn't it rude to ask someone their name without introducing yourself too?" Akko asked.

Diana frowned, but let out a little sigh, the noblewoman in her unable to disagree with the suggestion, "Diana Cavendish."

"Nice to meet you Diana!"

"You tried to cleave me in two."

Akko shrugged rather dismissively, "Eh, you seemed like you'd be able to dodge something like that. I was winding up for like, a minute before you finally noticed."

Diana blinked, her pull on her bow relaxing slightly. Had she really been so out of it admiring the sword that she had taken that long to notice an impending attack? Or was this stranger simply trying to lower her guard by appearing more amicable than she'd assumed?

"You could have just called out to me."

"I did," again, that could just be a lie, "but also I wanted to scare you off anyway," that seemed more likely, Diana supposed as Akko nodded towards the sword impaled in the ground beside them, "No one's gettin' the Shiny Sword but me!"

Diana felt her eye twitch, "'Shiny Sword'? That's one of the legendary Seven Weapons of Light! Who would dare to use such a juvenile name to refer to it?!"

"Shiny Sword sounds better than 'Sword of Light'," Akko said plainly, smirking as she saw the annoyance written all across Diana's face. The only person she'd ever heard use such a name to refer to the weapons was- "Besides, Chariot du Nord called her bow 'Shiny Arc', after all!"

"Of course you'd be one of the followers of that... vagabond," Diana muttered with a groan, tightening her pull on her arrow anew.

"Hey! You take that back!" Akko shouted, her stance shifting slightly to a more aggressive pose, ready to attack.

"I see no reason to do so," Diana spat, "If your only reason for seeking the Sword is to imitate some fourth-rate, would-be heroine, then I will do everything in my power to ensure yo-"

Both women's focus on one another was abruptly broken then as an earth-shattering roar echoed through the temple, the ground beneath their feet rumbling as the sound drove them both to cover their ears in pain.

"Akko!" a voice cried out as the roar died down, drawing their attention to the entrance of the grove.

A woman with short, fiery red hair in a dark green tunic ran in through the door, yellow scarf billowing behind her as she practically leapt over the steps, skidding to the ground beside the two quarrelling.

"We've got trouble! Big, big trouble!"

"Amanda?! What's wrong?! I thought you were checking the basement?!"

"The basement?" Diana asked, worry for her own companions creeping in.

"Diana!" two voices echoed, again drawing their attention to the doors.

Hannah and Barbara rushed through, looking just as panicked as Amanda as they ran down to meet them. A fourth woman with dull pink hair done into two long braids, dressed in full plate armor and wielding an enormous battle ax, jogged in after them; her expression serene even as she set her weapon down, leaning back against the door to seal it shut.

"What's going on?" Diana asked her panicking friends, "What was that sound?!"

"I-It was a-" they both struggled to talk over one another, as well as Amanda trying to say much the same to Akko.

"Huge!"

"Vicious!"

"Demonic!"

"Dra-!"

Another roar shook the ground beneath their feet as a shadow passed over them all, casting them into darkness. Clamming up, the entire group looked skyward as one, all of them shouting warnings to one another, rushing away from where they stood, jumping to gain enough distance as a vast black shape crashed to the ground where they'd stood mere seconds before.

Jet black scales seemed to swallow up all the light that filled the sanctum previously. Vast, red-lined wings stretching practically from wall to wall. A long, powerful tail coiled around the golden sword protectively. Fire dripped from its jaws as it reared its head up, flame spouting into the air as it let out another cripplingly loud roar.

"A dragon?!" Akko gawked.

Hannah and Barbara pressed together fearfully, shaking even as they held their weapons up in almost certainly futile defense. Just behind them, Diana held her bow drawn back, ready to loose a barrage of arrows upon the beast, though not knowing if they would have any effect. On the other side of the garden, Akko stood with her friends, sword held at the ready, Amanda having drawn a pair of curved knives, while Jasminka hefted her ax.

The dragon's beady yellow eyes regarded the six women, head slowly swiveling to take note of each of them. Then, chaos.

With a mighty roar, it unleashed a torrent of fiery breath upon Diana, Hannah and Barbara. Even as they screamed in terror, the two shield-wielding woman raised their defenses; enchantments in their gear coming to life, shielding them from the flames together with Diana behind them. As soon as the assault had let up, they moved aside, allowing Diana to quickly fire off two successive shots from her bow.

Figuring her best chance was to go for the eyes, her aim held true, both arrows finding piercing one glaring yellow eye. The great beast let out a pained cry, severing the arrows when it shut its eye, keeping it sealed in pain. But blinding one of its eyes did little to slow it down, seeming to only cause it to focus its anger upon Diana. Rising up from the spot it had landed, its vast body snaked through the air, surging towards her.

Letting out another dual-scream, Hannah and Barbara turned to flee together with their leader, running in a circle around the outermost perimeter of the gardens to try and keep some distance from the enraged dragon. Kicking off a tree to launch themselves into the air, Akko and Jasminka attempted to draw its attention, assaulting it from behind. Yet even as their oversized blades struck home, they barely seemed to dig into its thick, armored hide. Immediately, its tail flexed and swung from side to side, swatting them away like flies. Jasminka hit a far wall hard, sinking to the ground unconscious, while Akko was sent flying up into a tree.

Seeing the wounded woman unable to defend herself, Diana altered the course of her flight, making sure to lead the dragon away from where Jasminka lay.

"Barbara! Go, defend her!" she ordered, pointing to where the ax-wielder had fallen.

"Diana?! What about y-"

"I'll be fine! Go, help her!"

Leaving no room for argument, Barbara nodded finally; waiting for a moment to break off as Diana kept the dragon's attention with a flurry of arrows. Hannah kept just behind her, using her shield to protect them both from the dragon's fire whenever it saw fit to unleash it, but she knew that the spells that empowered her would be spent before too long, while the dragon showed no signs that unleashing its fire tired it at all.

As she blocked another burst of fire-breath, Hannah chanced to look up into a tree hanging over where the dragon stood for the moment, eyes widening slightly as she caught side of hair almost as bright as the flames wearing her down.

"What is that idiot do-"

Her question was answered when Amanda leapt down, landing deftly on the dragon's head, right between its bull-like horns.

"Eat this ya overgrown salamander!"

Screaming, she buried her knives right at the top of its skull, causing it to howl in pain. Unfortunately, like the arrows to its eye, the pain seemed to have little effect beyond angering it further. Its head thrashed around wildly, leaving Amanda to hang on for dear life, screaming all the while from the effort. Finally, she was thrown off, hitting a nearby wall even harder than Jasminka had, slumping limply to the floor.

The dragon turned its focus on her, flames gushing from its maw as it reared its head back, refusing to be distracted from eliminating this pest no matter how many shots that Diana fired at it.

"Damnit!"

Perhaps overcome by some protective instinct, Hannah slid to a halt in front of Amanda, having rushed over just in time to shield her from the blast.

"Hannah!" Barbara and Diana screamed as one.

Lowering her shield as the flames subsided, Hannah's eyes went wide as the dragon twisted, slamming its tail into her. The breath was crushed from her lungs it slammed her into the wall, collapsing in a heap on top of Amanda when the tail was pulled away.

Apparently satisfied enough to not waste another bout of its fire on the unconscious women, the dragon returns its murderous attentions to Diana; claws slamming into the ground as it stalked closer to her. Perhaps inevitably, as she ducked and wove away from swipes and spurts of fire, firing off shots all the while, Diana reached back to find her quiver empty. The momentary distraction of learning she was now practically unarmed was all it took for the dragon to land a blow; a glancing strike with a swing of its tail causing her to trip and fall to the ground.

Picking herself up, Diana rolled onto her back, eyes wide with fear as she saw the dragon raising its claws above her. She heard Barbara screaming her name, moving to leave Jasminka's side and run to her defense. But it was impossible for her to close that distance. Diana shut her eyes, waiting for her inevitable end at the dragon's razor-sharp claws.

When the feeling of them sinking into her flesh never came, she dared to crack her eyes open again, finding a silhouette standing in front of her. Blinking, her eyes adjusted, and she properly saw Akko again, standing in front of her. Her entire body was shaking as she held her sword up, having caught the dragon's claws against the blade, somehow managing to hold it back.

"N-Not today u-ugly!" Akko spat, voice shaking from the effort of wrestling against a _dragon._

A slight shift of her grip, and the blade began to sink into the creature's flesh. The mighty claw flinched back at the unexpected pain, but with an angered roar, it swung back down again, the rapid strike catching Akko by surprise, the force of it shattering her sword like a twig. Her eyes went wide, shocked at being so abruptly disarmed, and Diana could only watch helplessly as, like the others before her, she was swatted away by its powerful tail, flying to the middle of the garden.

And again, the dragon focused down on Diana again, ready to snuff the life out of her, the others to follow suit soon after. As it reared back its head to unleash a blast that would certainly reduce her to ash, Diana tried once more to brace herself for the end. Then, both she and the dragon were distracted by the sudden manifestation of a radiant, golden glow that filled the room.

Looking to the center, Diana's eyes went wide in awe as she saw Akko, now armed with the Sword of Light, the magical blade emitting a blinding glow as she held it aloft. With an agonized scream, she swung it down, and all Diana could remember after that was the light and warmth. All-encompassing, before fading away to black as she lost consciousness.

Waking with a start, the last thing she remembered being the dragon looming over her, Diana was immediately fearful of its continued assault. That fear quickly subsided as she took in her surroundings. No dragon, for one. She was still in the sanctum, she noted. Except that it was now missing a wall near where she was lying.

* * *

 

That had been five years ago to the day. When Diana, Hannah and Barbara had set out in search of the Sword of Light, finding the party of Akko, Amanda and Jasminka searching for it as well. And then they had almost all been killed by a dragon which had taken up residence in the temple where the blade lay; saved only by Akko miraculously using the ancient, mystical weapon's power to slay the beast.

While it had been a rather rocky first meeting, Diana felt a mixture of gratitude and curiosity towards her after that. Gratitude for her saving the life of her and her friends, and curiosity as legend held that only the chosen could wield the power of the Seven Weapons of Light. Thus she had felt driven to keep an eye on the sword's new owner; a task made easier when she learned that they both operated under the same guild.

Keeping an eye on her, yes, that had been the plan. Not actually partnering with her, as became increasingly common towards the tail end of the first year of their acquaintance. Falling in love was even more unexpected. A rough beginning, plenty of rough times since, yet she wouldn't trade a moment of them for anything.

Diana mulled over the events of the past five years as she lay in bed, toying with the golden bracelet hooked around her wrist; her own Weapon of Light.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the door to the room she and Akko shared in the local inn opening, her partner walking inside together with RyRy. The young drake coiled up on his bed by the door, while Akko set the small crate of supplies she'd gone out to get on the table, letting out a thankful huff at having it out of her arms.

"Rare to see you lazin' about in bed so late in the afternoon!" Akko teased, shooting a grin at Diana.

"I suppose so. I was... thinking."

"About?"

"Us."

"Eh?" that answer seemed to put Akko slightly on edge, "What uh... what d'you mean 'us'?"

Diana shifted to swing her legs over the edge of the bed as she sat up, patting the spot beside her. A bit warily, Akko stepped over, sitting down beside her, looking at her curiously.

"Diana?"

"Do you like this room, Akko?" she asked quite suddenly, raising her head to look around the inn room.

"Huh? Umm..." Akko looked around too, taking in the familiar details, "Yeah? We've stayed here for... gosh, years now! They even keep it on reserve for us when we're off on long missions. Give us a good rate and all. It's great!"

"I'm sick of it."

Akko blinked, mouth gaping slightly, clearly taken aback by Diana's blunt words, "D-Diana?"

She flinched back again when Diana turned to her, beautiful blue eyes staring at her resolutely, "Akko, what would you say to us building a home of our own?"

Akko relaxed slightly, now seeming more confused than worried, "A home?"

Diana nodded, "Yes. We have plenty enough gold saved up to pay for some land, materials and labour."

"Well, yeah, guess that's true..."

"Do you not want to?" Diana asked, her eyes still boring straight through Akko, making her writhe a little under their intensity.

"No I-...I don't know. I like this room," Akko felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked away from Diana's gaze, "I like staying here with you."

"I do too, Akko," Diana assured her, reaching out to take her hands in her own, gently coaxing Akko to look at her again, "And I hope you'll not think it presumptuous of me, but I'd like more. I'd like to have a home. I'd like for _us_ to have a home to call _ours,_ not just a room."

Akko blinked, wine red eyes wide and wavering, a shiver running through her at how resolute Diana sounded.

It was infectious.

Slowly, a grin spread across her lips, and she squeezed Diana's hands tighter in her own, "Alright, let's do it!" she said, nodding firmly, "Let's build our home, together!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, for as short as the last couple chapters were, this one wound up much longer! Funny what happens when I've actually got a solid idea of what to do... or maybe I just get carried away with the descriptions and stuff. I dunno, hopefully people liked this first meeting of Adventurer Akko and Diana? And the conversation on their anniversary?
> 
> I imagine the prompt was supposed to be more about the actual anniversary than the meeting itself, but given this is an AU, I thought it best to focus on establishing the event.


	7. Day 7: Free Day: Home and Legs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko and Diana work with their friends to build a home for the two of them, but Akko seems to have something on her mind...

Diana owned many nice tunics. Ever since she'd struck out on her own for a life of adventure, taking up the bow as her chosen weapon, she'd favoured light tunics which allowed her a full range of unrestricted motion as her preferred dress. Brought up in a noble house, she of course had an eye for quality that refused to compromise; all her tunics were impeccably woven from the finest materials. Her personal favorite was blue with a beautiful white unicorn pattern stitched into the back, no sleeves, and a hood attached to the collar.

Another thing about Diana's choice of fashion was that -in keeping with her preference for unrestricted mobility- they were all quite short. Nothing truly scandalous, no, but enough to leave basically all of her legs on display. Her long, toned, pale, milky legs. Which Akko was currently staring at, slack-jawed with a bit of drool sliding down her chin as her eyes followed a bead of sweat as it traveled down the muscled contours of her thigh.

It was hardly the first time Akko had been distracted by her gorgeous partner's gorgeous legs in the years they'd spent together. A frontline fighter, Akko was always throwing herself into the thick of a fight; that compulsion resulting in no small number of scars across her body. However, she'd lost track of how many of those scars had been caused, not by her own recklessness, but by her attention being distracted by the sight of Diana. Watching her flip through the air, throw a kick, draw back her bow...

Most of her tunics had short or no sleeves too after all, so her slender, finely muscled arms were quite easy to ogle too. But her _legs_. Watching the blonde archer kick off, flipping through the air to deliver a flying kick to some poor foe's face; was it any wonder Akko had been so focused on the sight to notice a minotaur kicking her? Or a drake setting her on fire? Or some goblin or bandit taking a swing at her?

Today's particular head trauma then came courtesy of Amanda swatting Akko in the back of the head with a log accidentally as she walked past her. Not seeing her stumble and lose her hold on the wood, Akko let out a squawk of pain as she was sent sprawling across the ground, dropping the log she'd been carrying herself in the process.

"Ah, shit, sorry 'bout that Akko. Doin' alright there?" Amanda asked, looking down at her.

"Mmmfine," Akko muttered, rolling onto her back, clutching her head.

"Is something the matter?" they both looked up as Diana shouted at them from where she stood atop a half-built stone wall; worried at seeing Akko lying on the ground with her head clutched in her hands and Amanda standing over her.

"Ah! Yeah, yeah, just accidentally clocked Akko in the head!" Amanda shouted back, barely able to make out the scowl that formed on Diana's face.

"Watch where you're going O'Neill!"

Akko watched as Diana jumped down from the wall; focusing quite keenly on the moments her legs coiled tightly when she jumped off, and again when she landed. She took great pains to focus up at Diana as she walked over to her, and not on her perfectly sculpted limbs, nor the shadow formed by the skirt of her tunic.

"Are you alright?" Diana asked, offering out her hand; hoisting Akko up to her feet when she took it.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Akko assured her, carefully prodding where she'd felt the log smack her head; pulling her hand around to find it thankfully free of blood, "Just a bump."

Diana let out a small sigh of relief, "That's good. We should get back to work."

"Right-o!" Akko nodded in agreement, crouching down to pick up the log she'd dropped as Diana turned to walk back to the wall.

Akko glanced up, remaining crouched down, picking the log up far too slowly, her attention focused on every little detail of Diana's legs as she walked away from her. It took her a few moments to realize there was still another presence beside her; turning to look up and see Amanda staring down at her with a disgusted grimace on her face.

"Seriously?"

Akko burned red, quickly picking up the log, springing to her feet in an instant, following after Diana. Amanda just let out a sigh, shaking her head as she moved to follow as well.

Having made the decision to create a permanent home together, rather than continue to live out of an inn room, Akko and Diana had enlisted the help of their friends and companions to begin construction. Land allocations were considered a matter of the church, which would have a spirit caller discern a suitable location for new housing. Lotte, luckily enough, was exceptionally well-liked by the spirits, and was able to secure a beautiful spot for her friends; a couple of acres set alongside the river, a comfortable distance from the center of town, with a picturesque hill topped by a large tree overlooking the area.

Deciding to construct their home near the base of the hill, they [Diana] had then consulted with Constanze to design the home. An alchemist and smith of great repute, the short, blue-haired girl was responsible for much of the village's planning, and was perfectly happy to assist in the creation of her friend's home. Or at least, Akko assumed she was; she didn't say much, but she was helping after all!

The house itself was to have two floors, along with a cellar and attic. The main floor would have a kitchen, pantry, dining space, a spare room, and even a small, attached bathhouse, while the upstairs would have two potential bedrooms. Besides the main building, they also plotted out a garden between the house and river, as well as plans for a rather luxurious stable.

"Do we really need to build a stable this... fancy?" Akko asked, deciphering the blueprints Constanze had laid out on a table she'd brought out to the field from which she was overseeing the construction, "We only have the one horse."

"RyRy isn't always going to be small enough to fit inside, Akko," Diana explained as she glanced between the plans and what had already been built.

Constanze's main claim to fame, besides her skill in the forge, were her golems. Large automations easily thrice the height of their (admittedly diminutive) creator; the flat-headed, humanoid creations served as something of a labour force, greatly easing the stress and costs of her projects, as well as speeding them along greatly. Diana had worried that the construction of her and Akko's home would take over half a year when she first began working out the details with Constanze, but she had been assured that it would take a fraction of that time.

Barely two weeks had passed, yet the cellar had already been fully dug and reinforced, with the ground floor already laid over it, and the first floor walls were already half complete. At the pace they were going, it would scarce be another month before she and Akko had a home to call their own; Diana couldn't begin to thank Constanze enough for her efforts.

"What?! You want RyRy to live outside in the cold?!" Akko shouted, aghast, "Diana, I didn't know you could be so cruel!"

Diana simply rolled her eyes at the overdramatic reaction, "First of all, he's a fire drake; he's never cold. Second, that is precisely why we've planned such a 'fancy' stable, to ensure his comfort," she assured her, "to say nothing of the comfort of _my horse_ ," she added, sounding distinctly annoyed by Akko's single-minded concern.

Akko gave a nervous little laugh, backing away from the slight glare Diana was shooting her, "Right, right, of course! Want her to be nice and cozy too! I'm uh... I'm just gonna go help Constanze and Amanda with the eastwallbye!"

Diana sighed, watching Akko quickly scurry away. She had half a mind to call after her that it was the _south_ wall currently being worked on, but it hardly mattered; despite her annoyance, she found her thoughts lingering more on concern for her partner. She'd incurred an unusually high number of injuries since construction had begun, and while she hadn't been harmed too badly, it was still concerning. She seemed almost distracted much of the time, from what Diana could tell when she was helping with the work. Why though? Could she be having second thoughts about moving into a home of their own?

Frowning as she stewed in the unpleasant thought, Diana was pulled from her brooding when she noticed someone approaching the planning table. Looking up, she saw Amanda walking towards her, waving her arm languidly.

"Hey Diana, Cons says we're runnin' low on stone an' mortar; she's sendin' me with one o' 'er golems to fetch s'more from her workshop. Want me to grab anything in town?"

Diana raised a hand to cover her eyes, glancing up at the sun high overhead, trying to gauge the time, "We could probably do with some lunch; perhaps you could see about bringing back some food from the guild for everyone?"

"Got it," nodding, Amanda turned to begin walking towards town, a golem stalking after her.

"Amanda?" Diana called while she was still within earshot.

"Hmm? Forget somethin'?" Amanda asked, stopping and turning back to her curiously.

"No, no, it's just..." she bit her lip, chancing a glance back to the half-built house, watching Akko nailing a supporting log being held up by another golem into place, "have you noticed Akko acting at all... odd, recently?"

"Akko? Odd? No, y'don't say," Amanda drawled sarcastically, balking at the notion Akko was anything but.

"I mean she seems... out of sorts," Diana clarified, glaring in annoyance at her concerns being made light of, "Distracted. She's been getting injured -more than usual before you say anything- and I'm worried for her."

"Distracted?" Amanda echoed, seeming to think on it for a moment, before breaking out in a large, deeply amused smirk, "Oh, tha~t."

Diana arched an eyebrow at the tone Amanda had taken on, "Do you know something?"

"You~ could say~ that," Amanda hummed, somehow her smirk seeming to grow larger by the moment as she let out a bit of a snicker.

"...are you going to tell me?" Diana asked, growing annoyed.

"Hmm," Amanda's expression slackened as she spared a glance over at where Akko sat helping with the first floor rafters, "I guess I could," she decided with a shrug, her smirk quickly returning, "It's you."

"Excuse me?" Diana blinked, a bit startled by the answer.

"She gets distracted by you; whenever you're working, she always winds up gawking at your legs," Amanda clarified with a laugh, gesturing to Diana, her legs more specifically.

Diana blinked, glancing downward. One foot pushed up onto her toes as she bent her leg slightly, letting her swivel and examine the limb more. Akko had been... staring, at her? The thought quickly brought a warm flush to her cheeks as she relaxed her leg.

If Amanda noticed her embarrassment, she -for once- chose not to comment, "I'll admit, they _are_ pretty nice, but I think mine're better," Diana just frowned at the half-hearted compliment, watching Amanda strike a bit of a pose to emphasize her own legs.

Like Diana, she favoured short, light tunics that didn't limit her mobility, leaving her legs mostly bare. While Diana was slender and toned though, Amanda's limbs were thicker and more powerfully muscled.

"Yes, well... thank you, for informing me, I suppose," Diana muttered, ignoring Amanda's posturing to glance back at Akko, now standing atop the rafters, wiping her brow as she looked over the log she'd finished hammering into place.

Perhaps feeling the gaze on her, she looked up, and even from as far away as she was, Diana could make out her brilliant smile as she threw her arm up to wave to her. Smiling faintly to herself, Diana raised her own arm to wave back. Seeing she'd apparently lost Diana's attention, Amanda just rolled her eyes, making to return to her errand.

Weeks passed and, barring a few days delay due to bad weather, Akko and Diana's home was completed as planned. And Akko, perhaps quite predictably, continued to suffer a number of injuries throughout the construction effort; the life of an adventurer thankfully made her extremely durable. Or maybe that's just how she was anyway? Regardless, that she was able to shrug off every accident inflicted upon her reassured Diana. Unfortunately the lack of genuine worry just left her more presence of mind to fret over _why_ Akko had been hurt each time; her mind always wandering back to her conversation with Amanda.

"I can't believe you bought the bed from the inn," Diana remarked, sitting in a chair, unwinding after the day they'd had moving their few possessions into the new house.

They didn't have much in the way of furniture, never having had the need before. They'd contracted a carpenter to construct a few things they felt they'd need; a wardrobe for their clothes, a dinner table, some chairs, but for the time being their home was rather meager in its decoration. One comparative luxury though that Akko had _insisted_ upon, was buying the bed from the room they had long rented from the inn; paying handsomely to have Jasminka carry it out.

"I've slept on it for like, two years already!" Akko defended her choice from where she now lay on the bed on her stomach in her underwear, "I like it!" she buried her face in a pillow, what she said next too muffled for Diana to make out.

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that."

Akko lifted herself enough to uncover her mouth, "And it smells like you," she repeated quietly.

Diana blushed at the admission, sure that Akko was too, not that she could see it, "Well... I suppose it is nice, to have that familiarity in a new environment."

Akko hummed in agreement, relaxing in her spot on the bed once more. Diana lifted one of her legs up onto her chair, reaching down to rub the soreness from her foot. As she massaged her sole, she had the curious sensation of being watched; looking to find Akko had turned her head to stare at her. Both women blushed when their eyes met, but neither looked away (though Akko's eyes did stray slightly downwards).

"See something you like?" Diana asked after a moment of quiet, smiling softly as she lowered her head, laying it on her propped up knee.

Akko let out a surprised squeak, blushing harder as she finally did look away, burying her face in her pillow again. Diana simply kept smiling at her lovingly, watching her, waiting. Her patience was rewarded when Akko hesitantly lifted her head to look at her again, replying to her question with a small nod.

Giggling quietly, Diana stood from the chair, loosening and removing her tunic as she walked over to the bed. Akko's eyes never left her, her gaze sending a slight shudder down her spine as she undressed. She rolled over to lie on her back as Diana climbed onto the bed overtop of her, eyes locking once more.

"Love you," Akko cooed, grinning up at her, reaching her arms up around her neck, tugging her down gently.

"Love you too," Diana replied tenderly, letting herself be pulled into a soft, affectionate kiss.

"Hey, Diana?" Akko whispered as they separated slightly.

"Hmm?" Diana quirked a brow questioningly as she looked down at Akko, a huge grin spreading across her face.

"Welcome home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAHHHHHH sorry that this one's kind of late! And pretty rough too. I'm a horrendous procrastinator and got super distracted when I should have been writing this. But here it is! My conclusion to Diakko Week for 2018! So much great art and awesome stories got posted this year and, as stressed as I made myself writing at the last minute, it was still a lot of fun!
> 
> I hope that anyone who read this AU enjoyed it, and I hope there'll be lots more Diakko in the year to come! And another fun week of prompts next year too!


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